


Appendixes

by MrToddWilkins



Series: A Tale of Lions,Badgers,Eagles,and Snakes [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 06:58:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14373369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrToddWilkins/pseuds/MrToddWilkins
Summary: General things about Harry Potter





	1. Spells

Accio- Brings an object to you

Aguamenti- Creates a gush of water from the tip of the spell caster's wand

Alohomora- Opens locks

Aparecium- Makes invisible ink become visible

Avada Kedavra- The Unforgivable Curse; Kills your opponent; taken from "Abra Cadabra"

Avifors- Turns things into birds

Avis- Makes birds fly out of the end of your wand

Bombarda- Causes a small, locally contained explosion. To make a bigger explosion, one could use "bombarda maxima"

Colloportus- Closes a door and binds it so that it can't be opened.

Confringo- AKA the Blasting Curse; Causes the item targeted to explode

Confundus- Confounds your target, or makes them temporarily confused

Conjunctivitis- Damages the eyesight of your opponent, making them seem to have pink eye

Crucio- The Second Unforgivable Curse, the Cruciatus Curse; Tortures your opponent mercilessly

Deletrius- Erases the last spell cast by a wand so that it can't be discovered

Densaugeo- Makes teeth grow out of control

Diffindo- Makes seams split open, severs an object into two pieces

Dissendium- Opens a specific passageway into a cellar, might be useful in other instances; may be only a password

Duro- Turns an item to stone.

Enervate- Mistaken spell. Changed to Rennervate. Used to wake up a stunned person

Engorgio- Makes an item larger, as in swollen

Episkey- Heals relatively minor wounds.

Evanesco- Causes an item to immediately dissolve away, as if it had never existed

Expecto Patronum- Creates Patronus

Expelliarmus- Disarms the target of the spell, such as knocking their wand out of their hand

Fera Verto- Transforms animals into water goblets!

Ferula- Binds a broken limb with a splint and bandages, tightly wrapped

Fidelius- Allows a secret to be hidden within the secret keeper's soul; very powerful spell

Finite- Incantatem- Stops any spell

Flagrate- Allows the user to write or draw in the air with fire

Flipendo- Also knows as the Knockback Jinx, pushes or flips something backwards

Furnunculus- Causes a person to break out in boils

Geminio- Creates a duplicate of an item (a twin, as in the zodiacal sign Gemini).

Homorphus- Man-Shape- makes a werewolf or person disguised as an animal resume their human shape

Immobulus- Immobilizes the target

Impedimenta- Puts up an impediment that slows down something or someone that is coming toward you

Imperio- The third unforgivable curse. Allows the user to assume complete control of another person

Impervius- Repels water from a surface

Incarcerous- Conjures up ropes, which then bind an opponent

Incendio- Lights a fire

Legilimens- Allows the user to gain access to another's mind and memories

Levicorpus- Turns your opponent upside down and dangles them in thin air

Liberacorpus- "Liberates", or frees a body that has been caught up by the levicorpus spell

Locomotor- Mortis The Leg-Locker Curse; locks an opponent's legs together

Lumos- Creates light, usually by making the tip of the wand glow. More light can be created using "lumos maxima"

Mobiliarbus- Used to move a tree from one place to another

Mobilicorpus- Used to move a body from one place to another

Morsmordre- or Morsmorde- Used to send for the Dark Mark

Muffliato- Causes a buzzing noise to surround a limited area so that those in the area can carry on a private conversation

Nox- Extinguishes light, used to douse the light created by "Lumos"

Obliviate- Makes a person "oblivious", erasing their memories of an event

Orchideous- Conjures a bunch of flowers from the user's wand

Petrificus Totalus- Total petrification; petrifies an opponent totally

Point Me The Four Point Spell; makes the user's wand act like a compass

Portus- Turns any item into a Portkey, which can then be used to transport a person or persons to another place.

Prior Incantato- Reveals to you the last spell that a wand was used to cast

Protego- Protects the user, and sends a spell back on an opponent

Quietus- Makes things quiet, used to muffle "Sonorus"

Reducio- Shrinks an item

Reducto- Blasts solid objects into pieces

Relashio- Releases something from being constrained or held

Rennervate- Was originally "ennervate", but corrected by author; means to energize or wake up

Reparo- Repairs broken items

Repello- Repels something

Repello Mugglum- Makes an area invisible to Muggles

Revelio- Causes something that is hidden to be revealed

Rictusempra- Causes a person to curl up in laughter, as if being tickled

Riddikulus- Makes a boggart assume a "ridiculous" form, thereby making it funny instead of terrifying

Salvio Hexia- Unclear; seems to strengthen other protective spells, or to deflect any hexes cast toward a specific place.

Scourgify- Used to clean dirt or other material from a surface

Sectumsempra- Causes lacerations to appear all over an opponent's body, as if they had been cut by an invisible sword

Serpensortia- Conjures a snake

Silencio- Makes the target of the spell unable to make any sound.

Sonorus- Amplifies the user's voice

Stupefy- Stupefies an opponent, or knocks them insensible temporarily

Tarantallegra- Forces an opponent's legs to dance uncontrollably

Tergeo- Scours something clean

Waddiwasi- Removes a stuck object, as in a wad of gum that is stuck in a keyhole

Wingardium Leviosa- Allows the user to make an object levitate.


	2. Common rooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concerning the common rooms

The Gryffindor Common Room is located in one of the castle's towers (Gryffindor Tower), the entrance to which is on the seventh floor and is guarded by an oil painting of the Fat Lady, who is garbed in a pink silk dress. She permits entry only after being given the correct password. Behind her painting is a large common room, with a fireplace, and two staircases leading up to the girls' and boys' dormitories. There is a spell on the girls' staircase that prevents boys from using it, however there is no such enchantment on the staircase to the boys' dormitory, allowing girls to use it whenever they wish, due to the founders' belief that girls were trustworthier. The common room is very comfortable, and members of the Gryffindor house meet there for study groups, celebrations, or relaxation. The walls are lined with portraits, each one depicting a previous or current Head of Gryffindor.

The Slytherin common room's entrance is hidden behind a pillar, a short distance away from Hogwarts entrance. There is no painting, but rather a password to part the wall where the entrance is hidden. The descending staircase is almost like a snake; it wraps and coils around and round the stone wall, much like the Slytherin symbol. It is located in the Hogwart's dungeon, and it has a rather convenient access to potions class. The Slytherin common room can be refereed to as dark and gloomy, which it's residents very much enjoy. The couches are soft luxurious black leather, and there's a brilliant grey stone fireplace that has a python ready to strike on the mantle. It has an eerie green glow, that's suspected to be from the Black Lake. There are dangling green chandeliar-like lamps that glow fluorescent. There is sleek shiny marble flooring that are polished daily, and a green and black entrance carpet to wipe feet on. The Slytherin common room mirrors what Slytherins believe in, determination, in the ever-flickering glow. The ability to strike like a cobra when needed, in the various snake tributes in the common room. The stone cold exterior needed to simply observe instead of overlooking details. It's hidden to show that it's welcome for very exclusive access, in the dungeons also mirrors that Slytherins tend to keep to themselves more than spend time with others. All in all, the Slytherin common room is created to look like a snake's nest, hidden, dangerous, and dark.

The Ravenclaw common room is in one of the castle's towers and is wide and circular. You have to climb a tight spiral staircase to get there. It has graceful arched windows, and the walls are hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling is painted with stars, which are echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases cover the expanse of the floor, and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sits next to the door that leads to the dormitories above. Unlike the other common rooms in the school, a logical riddle given by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker must be answered to enter. This could prove troublesome as anyone with enough intellect could intrude into the dormitory.

The Hufflepuff Dormitories and Common room have never been seen by outsiders and is the only house with repelling devices in case of intruders. They are accessed through a pile of large barrels, found stacked in a shadowy stone recess on a right-hand side corridor near the kitchens. The barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, will open if tapped in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'. However, once you make it through the tunnel entryway, the Hufflepuff dormitory is a quite cozy and welcoming place; it always feels sunny. The common room is a large, earthy, round room with low ceilings. The view from the round windows is of dandelions and rippling grass. The decor emphasizes the earthy-feel of the room with plants hanging and resting all about the room, some that even sing and dance. Burnished copper touching with plush cozy yellow and black patterned sofas and chairs welcoming a Hufflepuff student to relax and discuss the interesting specimens brought in by the Head of House, Professor Sprout. A Hufflepuff student goes through big, round doors in the walls of the common room to gain access to their dormitory.


	3. Most Ancient and Noble Houses

  
Layout (this applies to all such entries)

House name

Founded, by whom

Sigil

Family seat + Wizengamot seats

Status

Related families

————-

Ravenclaw

Founded c.285, by Ignatius of the Ravens

Ravenclaw Manor, near present day Nantes + 6

A Palatinate (1) eagle on a medium blue field

Extant (commonly considered to have died with Helena Ravenclaw,but this is untrue)

Parkinson,Ollivander,Bones,Farley,Johnson

Of these houses,the Farleys are commonly considered the heir, but the Ollivanders contest this claim. The French House Terenion is the steward of Ravenclaw Manor.

Hufflepuff

Founded 62 BC, by Briareus the Huffler

Hufflepuff Hall, near Exeter + 5

A badger on gold and brown

Extant

Weasley,Brown,Dunbar,Shacklebolt,Vane,Robins,Midgen (2)

As per the Ministry Directive 48196 of October 10,1718, these houses share the Lordship. House Vane is the current steward of Hufflepuff Hall,where they have resided since 1794.

Gryffindor

Founded 130, by Galbart Gryffiner (3)

Gryffindor Hall, near Tunbridge Wells + 8

A roaring lion on crimson (4)

Extant

Potter,Longbottom,Abbott,Spinnet,O'Liathain,Pucey,Jones,Dumbledore,Bell,Goldstein,Lestrange,Lovegood,Dolohov

The Longbottoms are considered the current heirs of Gryffindor. House Bell is steward of Gryffindor Hall,which is exactly 2 leagues from Bell Tower (5). The Abbotts are the hereditary Lords Mayor of Godric's Hollow

Slytherin

Founded 520, by Symond Slytherin

Slytherin Hall, near Yarmouth + 5

A sleeping silver snake on Anglic green

Extinct

Gaunt,Rosier,Slughorn,Wood,Cattermole,Scamander

On July 17,1932, the Ministry declared that as Stewards of Slytherin Hall the Woods were the truest heir to that House

Peverell

Founded 775 BC, by Polypemon (6):English branch founded 352 AD, by Tæwald the Grey Knight

Peverell Manor, near Chelmsford + 10

Two Palatinate stars on a green field, over a light blue field with no device

Extinct

Avery,MacDougal,McKinnon,McLaggen,Vaisey

The McLaggens are the current stewards of Peverell Manor,and as such the Ministry recognizes them as the Peverell heirs.

Black

Founded 940, by Elfred the Blackheart (7)

12 Grimmauld Place + 6

A drawn sword on silver field

Extant

Orion Black (+) m. Walburga Flint (+)

Sirius Black m. Amelia Bones

Regulus Black

——————

1-When I say Palatinate, I refer to a loose confederation of West and Central European magical officials that preceded the ICW. It was founded about 615 AD, and lasted until the ICW was formed in 1467.

2-Yes,those Midgens. Eloise Midgen,she of the constant acne,is heiress to quite a fortune.

3-The name changed over time. It officially became Gryffindor with the accession of Elbert Gryffindor in 752.

4-Similar to the Lannister sigil,but this is Earth

5-Again,I couldn't resist. The Bells are pretty unusual,much like their cousins the Lovegoods

6-'Everygrief'. When Odysseus meets Laertes,he gives this as the name of his father

7-Originally from the Netherlands. The magical inspiration of the Till Eulenspiegel legend

 


	4. Hogwarts graduation ceremonies

  
The typical Hogwarts graduation is spaced out over three days

Last 6 class days:no classes for seventh years

Day 1,morning:the Head Boy and Head Girl get embroidered commemorative Head Boy/Head Girl badges. The Headmaster hands the badges out in their office.

Day 1,evening:the Leaving Feast. Seventh years get a communal table,and everybody in seventh year,regardless of House,sits at that same table. They sit at that table for breakfast,lunch,and dinner on Days 1 and 2, as well as the last 3 days before Day 1. The Headmaster offers a toast to the seventh years. They also get the tastiest desserts one could possibly get at Hogwarts.

Day 2,predawn:the Lighting of the Candles. The students walk into the Forbidden Forest,each House’s seventh years following their respective seventh year prefects. The Gryffindor girl prefect bears a red candle,the Hufflepuff boy prefect bears a gold candle,the Ravenclaw boy prefect bears a blue candle, and the Slytherin girl prefect bears a silver candle. They all follow the Head Boy,Head Girl,and Keeper of the Keys. About 1 mile into the forest is a glade,180 paces ‘round,sacred to the Centaurs. This glade was cleared by the Four Founders in 972,the year after the founding of Hogwarts. In the center is a flame pit containing a single unlit candle,which the Keeper of the Keys replaces every October 1. The four prefects use their respective candles to light the unlit candle,which generates a pure white flame. This symbolizes that in the real world all witches and wizards are equal,regardless of their House.

Day 2:a day of relaxation before the Presentation of the Diplomas. One can usually find seventh years congregating in their respective common rooms,the Great Hall,the Side Chambers,the Middle Court,the Quidditch bleachers,really any large,open place at Hogwarts. During this day the first through sixth years leave Hogwarts.

Day 2,early evening:the Presentation of the Diplomas. The seventh years gather in the Great Hall,where the Headmaster presents the Certificates of Magical Education (the Hogwarts equivalent of a diploma),along with any awards for specific seventh years. The Headmaster also delivers any last-minute announcements. Afterwards,the seventh years go to the Three Broomsticks for what is essentially a graduation party.

Day 3,morning:the seventh years leave Hogwarts via the boats,a reversal of their arrival at Hogwarts to begin their first year. After they arrive at Hogsmeade,it’s up to them to determine their own transportation. Some take the Hogwarts Express,some take carriages,some take broomsticks.

 


	5. Reference books

Dragon-Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, by Joffrey Urquhart 

Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties, by Atreus Blackwood

Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts, by Oliver Kettleburn

The Dream Oracle, by Cassandra Trelawney and Arnulf Khanna

Charm Your Own Cheese, by Greta Catchlove

Enchantment in Baking, by Addison and Georjaina Picquery

One Minute Feasts – It’s Magic!, by Georjaina Picquery

Flying with the Cannons, by Reginald Carter

Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself against Shocks, by Elfstan Wood (introduction to the 1989 edition by Gilderoy Lockhart)

Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul, by Fiona Wyllt

Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming, by Neithan Blackwood

Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more), by Vindictus Viridian

Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, by Aberforth Dumbledore (writing as Gordon Travers)

Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland, by Theon Dunbar

From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper’s Guide, by Bernard de Lasterie

The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology, by Oswald Calculus

A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, by Emeric Switch and Yslyr Crabbe

Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes, by Absalon Dumbledore

Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks, by Bruce Tyler

Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms, by Raymont Johnson and others

A Guide to Medieval Sorcery, by Charlus Greenfield

A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions, edited by Theseus Scamander

The Dark Arts Outsmarted, by Stannis Ginart

Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms, by Evaristus Rosier

Spellman’s Syllabary, by Graham Nyberg

Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland, by Owen Davies

Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, by Matthias Brown

Prefects Who Gained Power, by Trevor Montague


	6. Castelobruxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adapted from the Pottermore essay regarding Castelobruxo.

The Brazilian school for magic, which takes students from all over Central and South America, is found hidden deep within the rain forest of Amazonia Norte. The fabulous castle appears to be a ruin to Muggle eyes.

Castelobruxo is an imposing square edifice of golden rock, often compared to a temple. Both building and grounds are protected by the Caipora, small and furry spirit-beings who are extraordinarily mischievous and tricky, and who emerge under cover of night to watch over the students and the creatures who live in the forest. 

Castelobruxo students wear green robes and are especially advanced in both Herbology and Magizoology; the school offers very popular exchange programmes for European students who wish to study the magical flora and fauna of South America. The school has eight year groups (ages 14-21) and four houses:the Golden Wolf (Slytherin), the Eagle (Gryffindor),the Caipora (Hufflepuff), and the Jaguar (Ravenclaw). The Sorting is accomplished by means of a committee composed of the Headmaster,Vice Headmaster,school ghosts,and some teachers. The school was founded in 755 and has been ‘operational’ ever since. Castelobruxo has produced a number of famous ex-students, including one of the world’s most famous potioneers, Libatius Borage, and João Coelho, Captain of the world-renowned Quidditch team the Tarapoto Tree- Skimmers.

Visitors to Castelobruxo are advised to bring translation spellbooks.


	7. Wand lore

The following description of the powers and properties of various wand woods are taken from notes made, over a long career, by Mr Garrick Ollivander, widely considered the best wandmaker in the world. As will be seen, Mr Ollivander believes that wand wood has almost human powers of perception and preferences.

Mr Ollivander introduces his notes on wand woods thus:

Every single wand is unique and will depend for its character on the particular tree and magical creature from which it derives its materials. Moreover, each wand, from the moment it finds its ideal owner, will begin to learn from and teach its human partner. Therefore, the following must be seen as general notes on each of the wood types I like to work with best, and ought not to be taken to describe any individual wand.

Only a minority of trees can produce wand quality wood (just as a minority of humans can produce magic). It takes years of experience to tell which ones have the gift, although the job is made easier if Bowtruckles are found nesting in the leaves, as they never inhabit mundane trees. The following notes on various wand woods should be regarded very much as a starting point, for this is the study of a lifetime, and I continue to learn with every wand I make and match.  
Acacia  
A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as ‘bangs-and-smells’ magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament.

Alder  
Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable. Whereas most wand woods seek similarity in the characters of those they will best serve, alder is unusual in that it seems to desire a nature that is, if not precisely opposite to its own, then certainly of a markedly different type. When an alder wand is happily placed, it becomes a magnificent, loyal helpmate. Of all wand types, alder is best suited to non-verbal spell work, whence comes its reputation for being suitable only for the most advanced witches and wizards.

Apple  
Applewood wands are not made in great numbers. They are powerful and best suited to an owner of high aims and ideals, as this wood mixes poorly with Dark magic. It is said that the possessor of an apple wand will be well-loved and long-lived, and I have often noticed that customers of great personal charm find their perfect match in an applewood wand. An unusual ability to converse with other magical beings in their native tongues is often found among apple wand owners, who include the celebrated author of Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs, Dylan Marwood.

Ash  
The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that the old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant.

Aspen  
Wand-quality aspen wood is white and fine-grained, and highly prized by all wand-makers for its stylish resemblance to ivory and its usually outstanding charmwork. The proper owner of the aspen wand is often an accomplished duellist, or destined to be so, for the aspen wand is one of those particularly suited to martial magic. An infamous and secretive eighteenth-century duelling club, which called itself The Silver Spears, was reputed to admit only those who owned aspen wands. In my experience, aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries.

Beech  
The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. Such wizards and witches, having obtained a beech wand without having been suitably matched (yet coveting this most desirable, richly hued and highly prized wand wood), have often presented themselves at the homes of learned wandmakers such as myself, demanding to know the reason for their handsome wand’s lack of power. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation.

Blackthorn  
Blackthorn, which is a very unusual wand wood, has the reputation, in my view well-merited, of being best suited to a warrior. This does not necessarily mean that its owner practises the Dark Arts (although it is undeniable that those who do so will enjoy the blackthorn wand’s prodigious power); one finds blackthorn wands among the Aurors as well as among the denizens of Azkaban. It is a curious feature of the blackthorn bush, which sports wicked thorns, that it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts, and the wands made from this wood appear to need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand will become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish.

Black Walnut  
Less common than the standard walnut wand, that of black walnut seeks a master of good instincts and powerful insight. Black walnut is a very handsome wood, but not the easiest to master. It has one pronounced quirk, which is that it is abnormally attuned to inner conflict, and loses power dramatically if its possessor practises any form of self-deception. If the witch or wizard is unable or unwilling to be honest with themselves or others, the wand often fails to perform adequately and must be matched with a new owner if it is to regain its former prowess. Paired with a sincere, self-aware owner, however, it becomes one of the most loyal and impressive wands of all, with a particular flair in all kinds of charmwork.

Cedar  
Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, ‘you will never fool a cedar carrier,’ and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is a perceptive mind. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. 

Cherry  
This very rare wand wood creates a wand of strange power, most highly prized by the wizarding students of the school of Mahotokoro in Japan, where those who own cherry wands have special prestige. The Western wand-purchaser should dispel from their minds any notion that the pink blossom of the living tree makes for a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, for cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core, but if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind.

Chestnut  
This is a most curious, multi-faceted wood, which varies greatly in its character depending on the wand core, and takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it. The wand of chestnut is attracted to witches and wizards who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology, and those who are natural fliers. However, when paired with dragon heartstring, it may find its best match among those who are over fond of luxury and material things, and less scrupulous than they should be about how they are obtained. Conversely, three successive heads

Elder  
The rarest wand wood of all, and reputed to be deeply unlucky, the elder wand is trickier to master than any other. It contains powerful magic, but scorns to remain with any owner who is not the superior of his or her company; it takes a remarkable wizard to keep the elder wand for any length of time. The old superstition, ‘wand of elder, never prosper,’ has its basis in this fear of the wand, but in fact, the superstition is baseless, and those foolish wandmakers who refuse to work with elder do so more because they doubt they will be able to sell their products than from fear of working with this wood. The truth is that only a highly unusual person will find their perfect match in elder, and on the rare occasion when such a pairing occurs, I take it as certain that the witch or wizard in question is marked out for a special destiny. An additional fact that I have unearthed during my long years of study is that the owners of elder wands almost always feel a powerful affinity with those chosen by rowan.

 English Oak  
A wand for all seasons, this is a friend as loyal as the wizard who deserves it. Wands of English oak demand partners of strength, courage and fidelity. Less well-known is the propensity for owners of English oak wands to have powerful intuition, and, often, an affinity with the magic of the natural world, with the creatures and plants that are necessary to wizardkind for both magic and pleasure. The oak tree is called King of the Forest from the winter solstice up until the summer solstice, and its wood should only be collected during that time (holly becomes King as the days begin to shorten again, and so holly should only be gathered as the year wanes).

Fir  
My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood ‘the survivor’s wand’, because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favour owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanour.

Hawthorn  
The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn ‘makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.’ While I disagree with many of Gregorovitch’s conclusions, we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of troubles.

Holly  
Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood’s volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix’s detachment. In the unusual event of such a pairing finding its ideal match, however, nothing and nobody should stand in their way.

Hornbeam  
My own wand is made of hornbeam, and so it is with all due modesty that I state that hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term ‘vision’), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner’s style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner’s code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts – whether for good or ill – that do not tally with their master’s principles. A particularly fine-tuned and useful wand.

 

Larch  
Strong, durable and warm in colour, larch has long been valued as an attractive and powerful wand wood. Its reputation for instilling courage and confidence in the user has ensured that demand has always outstripped supply. This much sought-after wand is, however, hard to please in the matter of ideal owners, and trickier to handle than many imagine. I find that it always creates wands of hidden talents and unexpected effects, which likewise describes the master who deserves it. It is often the case that the witch or wizard who belongs to the larch wand may never realise the full extent of their considerable talents until paired with it, but that they will then make an exceptional match.

Laurel  
It is said that a laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), I have known laurel wands perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair. The laurel wand seems unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away. Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it.

Maple  
I have often found that those chosen by maple wands are by nature travellers and explorers; they are not stay-at-home wands, and prefer ambition in their witch or wizard, otherwise their magic grows heavy and lacklustre. Fresh challenges and regular changes of scene cause this wand to literally shine, burnishing itself as it grows, with its partner, in ability and status. This is a beautiful and desirable wood, and wand quality maple has been among the most costly for centuries. Possession of a maple wand has long been a mark of status, because of its reputation as the wand of high achievers.

Pear  
This golden-toned wood produces wands of splendid magical powers, which give of their best in the hands of the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise. Possessors of pear wands are, in my experience, usually popular and well-respected. I do not know of a single instance where a pear wand has been discovered in the possession of a Dark witch or wizard. Pear wands are among the most resilient, and I have often observed that they may still present a remarkable appearance of newness, even after many years of hard use.

Pine  
The straight-grained pine wand always chooses an independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious. Pine wands enjoy being used creatively, and unlike some others, will adapt unprotestingly to new methods and spells. Many wandmakers insist that pine wands are able to detect, and perform best for, owners who are destined for long lives, and I can confirm this in as much as I have never personally known the master of a pine wand to die young. The pine wand is one of those that is most sensitive to non-verbal magic.

Poplar  
‘If you seek integrity, search first among the poplars,’ was a great maxim of my ancestor, Jason Ollivander, and my own experience of poplar wands and their owners tallies exactly with his. Here is a wand to rely upon, of consistency, strength and uniform power, always happiest when working with a witch or wizard of clear moral vision. There is a tired old joke among lesser wandmakers that no poplar wand has ever chosen a politician, but here they show their lamentable ignorance: two of the Ministry’s most accomplished Ministers for Magic, Eldritch Diggory and Evangeline Orpington, were the possessors of fine, Ollivander-made poplar wands.

Red Oak  
You will often hear the ignorant say that red oak is an infallible sign of its owner’s hot temper. In fact, the true match for a red oak wand is possessed of unusually fast reactions, making it a perfect duelling wand. Less common than English oak, I have found that its ideal master is light of touch, quick-witted and adaptable, often the creator of distinctive, trademark spells, and a good man or woman to have beside one in a fight. Red oak wands are, in my opinion, among the most handsome.

Redwood  
Wand-quality redwood is in short supply, yet constant demand, due to its reputation for bringing good fortune to its owner. As is usually the case with wandlore, the general populace have the truth back to front: redwood wands are not themselves lucky, but are strongly attracted to witches and wizards who already possess the admirable ability to fall on their feet, to make the right choice, to snatch advantage from catastrophe. The combination of such a witch or wizard with a redwood wand is always intriguing, and I generally expect to hear of exciting exploits when I send this special pairing out from my workshop.

Rowan  
Rowan wood has always been much-favoured for wands, because it is reputed to be more protective than any other, and in my experience renders all manner of defensive charms especially strong and difficult to break. It is commonly stated that no dark witch or wizard ever owned a rowan wand, and I cannot recall a single instance where one of my own rowan wands has gone on to do evil in the world. Rowan is most happily placed with the clear-headed and the pure-hearted, but this reputation for virtue ought not to fool anyone – these wands are the equal of any, often the better, and frequently out-perform others in duels.

Silver Lime  
This unusual and highly attractive wand wood was greatly in vogue in the nineteenth century. Demand outstripped supply, and unscrupulous wandmakers dyed substandard woods in an effort to fool purchasers into believing that they had purchased silver lime. The reasons for these wands’ desirability lay not only in their unusually handsome appearance, but also because they had a reputation for performing best for Seers and those skilled in Legilimency, mysterious arts both, which consequently gave the possessor of a silver lime wand considerable status. When demand was at its height, wandmaker Arturo Cephalopos claimed that the association between silver lime and clairvoyance was ‘a falsehood circulated by merchants like Gerbold Ollivander (my own grandfather), who have overstocked their workshops with silver lime and hope to shift their surplus’. But Cephalopos was a slipshod wandmaker and an ignoramus, and nobody, Seer or not, was surprised when he went out of business.

Spruce  
Unskilled wandmakers call spruce a difficult wood, but in doing so they reveal their own ignorance in this matter. It is quite true that it requires particular deftness to work with spruce, which produces wands that are ill-matched with cautious or nervous natures, and become positively dangerous in fumbling fingers. The spruce wand requires a firm hand, because it often appears to have its own ideas about what magic it ought to be called upon to produce. However, when a spruce wand meets its match – which, in my experience, is a bold spell-caster with a good sense of humour – it becomes a superb helper, intensely loyal to their owners and capable of producing particularly flamboyant and dramatic effects.

Sycamore  
The sycamore makes a multifaceted wand, eager for new experience and losing brilliance if engaged in mundane activities. It is a quirk of these handsome wands that they may combust if allowed to become ‘bored’, and many witches and wizards, settling down into middle age, are disconcerted to find their trusty wand bursting into flame in their hand as they ask it, one more time, to fetch their slippers. As may be deduced, the sycamore’s ideal owner is curious, vital and adventurous, and when paired with such an owner, it demonstrates a capacity to learn and adapt that earns it a rightful place among the world’s most highly-prized wand woods.

Vine  
The druids considered anything with a woody stem as a tree, and vine makes wands of such a special nature that I have been happy to continue their ancient tradition. Vine wands are among the less common types, and I have been intrigued to notice that their owners are nearly always those witches or wizards who seek a greater purpose, who have a vision beyond the ordinary and who frequently astound those who think they know them best. Vine wands seem strongly attracted by personalities with hidden depths, and I have found them more sensitive than any other when it comes to instantly detecting a prospective match. Reliable sources claim that these wands can emit magical effects upon the mere entrance into their room of a suitable owner, and I have twice observed the phenomenon in my own shop.

Walnut  
Highly intelligent witches and wizards ought to be offered a walnut wand for trial first, because in nine cases out of ten, the two will find in each other their ideal mate. Walnut wands are often found in the hands of magical innovators and inventors; this is a handsome wood possessed of unusual versatility and adaptability. A note of caution, however: while some woods are difficult to dominate, and may resist the performance of spells that are foreign to their natures, the walnut wand will, once subjugated, perform any task its owner desires, provided that the user is of sufficient brilliance. This makes for a truly lethal weapon in the hands of a witch or wizard of no conscience, for the wand and the wizard may feed from each other in a particularly unhealthy manner.

Willow  
Willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. While many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow.

Yew  
Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. The witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner’s grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner.


End file.
